Small watercraft such as canoes, rowboats, kayaks, small sailboats and the like are widely used for recreational purposes. It has been recognized that at times it may be desirable to be able to convert a non-sailing boat, such as a canoe or rowboat, into a sailboat. This conversion may be motivated by only occasional use of a boat as a sailboat, such that separate purchase of a sailboat and a non-sailing boat is not desirable.
Numerous attempts have been made to provide a conversion kit for conversion of a canoe, rowboat, or other non-sailing vessel to a sailing vessel, but such attempts have not resulted in an effective, easily used system. Known kits are generally difficult to use, do not provide proper handling of the vessel upon conversion to a sailing vessel, and may necessitate material revision to the canoe, boat or kayak itself. Several such systems are provided in the patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,741 to Herbst provides a surfboard with a sail propulsion apparatus featuring a sail and leeboard assembly. The surfboard is controlled by pivotally connected leeboards attached to the base on opposite sides of the watercraft. U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,994 to Brodie teaches a kit sail for a boat, such as a canoe, wherein the kit includes a sail assembly, a rudder assembly as well as a pair of leeboards associated with the sailing assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,430 to Drabkin teaches an apparatus that can enable the conversion of a small boat, such as a kayak, a canoes or a skiff, to a sailing vessel. With this apparatus, the conversion from a non-sailing to a sailing vessel may be accomplished with out requiring boaters to move from their usual positions. The system, however, also uses a leeboard for control.
A leeboard is also used with a mast, sail support, hiking seats and a rudder assembly in the kit provided by U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,669, which provides for the conversion of a small boat, such as a canoe, into a sailboat.
A sailing frame that is mountable on an inflatable or other boat is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,049 to Nicol. The sailing frame can be disassembled and/or folded for storage, and consists of a mounting for a sail, a rudder and bilge boards that extend vertically from the sides of the boat.
A kit for the conversion of a kayak to a sailing boat is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,013 to Cornell. The portable kit consists of a lightweight bi-pod mast, which may be mounted to a removable board/hatch at the front of the kayak. Also, a leeboard kit is included to attach to the side of the cockpit of the open-trough kayak.
A system for adapting two canoes or similar boats into a single sailing vessel is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,713 to Rowlett. The system provides bow and stern connecting members between two open-hulled boats. A sail is mounted to a connecting member, and a centerboard mount and a rudder mount are also provided. A board extends downward from a mount between the two canoes.
The use of outriggers or pontoons is well known in kits for conversion of a canoe or similar boat to a sailboat. One such kit is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,594 to Birkett. This kit includes a lightweight, rectangular frame, a front and rear crossbar and pontoons or ice runners extending from the front crossbar. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,443 to McDougall teaches a sail and stabilizer float kit for use with a small boat. The kit comprises a pair of out-rigger floats. A pair of leeboards provides added stability. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,690 to Garber teaches a sailing-stabilizing outrigger which supports a mast and sail.
The prior kits and methods for converting a canoe or similar small watercraft using various outriggers or leeboards that extend downward from the top of the gunnel to attempt to provide lateral stability. These prior conversion devices, however, do not provide the desired amount of control and stability, and as a result, the performance of the converted boat does not necessarily mimic the performance of a traditional sailboat. Therefore, there is a need for an assembly for reversibly converting a small non-sailing watercraft, such as a canoe or the like, to a sailboat, where the converted boat is configured more like a typical sailboat, providing desired stability and control in an easily used system. There also is a need for a conversion kit and methods which allow the user to effectively convert a non-sailing vessel to a sailing vessel in a simple fashion without modifying the vessel in any manner.